Chapter 41 - 40: A Master Among the Common Folk?

Words : 1437 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 41: Chapter 40: A Master Among the Common Folk? Gu Qiaoqiao was startled and looked toward the person behind the counter, asking in surprise, “How do you know? Shouldn’t you be asking me what caught my interest?” The middle-aged man chuckled maliciously, pushing up his glasses on the bridge of his nose, his smile deepening, but he did not contradict Gu Qiaoqiao’s statement and seriously asked instead, “Young comrade, could you please tell me what caught your eye?” Gu Qiaoqiao’s suppressed emotions began to improve bit by bit amid the middle-aged man’s teasing yet relaxed questioning. At the same time, she also despised her own stupidity for regarding Bai Yun as her only friend, then being led by the nose by her. Although the world might be overcast, there was sunshine everywhere as well. Gu Qiaoqiao’s clear eyes turned slightly, thinking that since the middle-aged man had already asked what treasure she wanted to sell, there was no need for further questions. So, she took out a box from her down jacket pocket, opened it, and casually handed over the nucleus carving to the middle-aged man with a smile that bent her eyes and eyebrows, “Boss, would you consider buying this item?” The middle-aged man’s previously amused gaze became abruptly fixed when he saw the nucleus carving in Gu Qiaoqiao’s palm. Even the air around them seemed to stop for a moment. He was the deputy manager here, who had helped the Old Patriarch manage Yubao Square for thirty years. Sёarch* The novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And during those turbulent years, he had been a constant companion by the Old Patriarch’s side—his eye for detail was not “fire-eyed golden vision,” but it was certainly refined to perfection. He was familiar with and understood many things within this line of work. At first glance, he could tell that the nucleus carving had been freshly carved, no more than three days ago. What shook him was not something else, but the realization upon his first glance at the nucleus carving that its exquisite craftsmanship was like nothing he had ever seen before. The middle-aged man carefully took the nucleus carving and noticed the paper box Gu Qiaoqiao had used to carry it, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, feeling that it was disrespectful to such a fine craftsmanship. In the many decades he had been in this trade, he had handled countless treasures. Speaking of nucleus carvings, he had seen innumerable ones. He had seen carvings of small bridges and flowing rivers beneath sweet osmanthus trees, and he had even seen depictions of the one hundred and eight warriors of Liangshan carved onto a walnut. Logically, he should not be so shocked, and moreover, such expressions are a big taboo for a shop keeper. But he had truly never seen such a perfectly exquisite and spiritually energized nucleus carving. The young master standing at the bow of the boat wore a leisurely expression with a hint of a smile at his lips, and even his gaze carried a languid air. The woman in the cabin was gentle and beautiful, with a wooden hairpin in her hair beneath which hung five small pearls that lightly swayed with her movements. The two children sitting opposite the woman—a boy and a girl—the boy looked somewhat mischievous, his eyes seemingly sneaking peeks at the scenery outside the boat, while the girl appeared to be listening intently, holding a cup of tea in her small hand as if forgetting to drink. The middle-aged man had all but forgotten to attend to the other customers, as he picked up the magnifying glass and looked carefully once again. For a master of nucleus carving, carving a person onto a walnut was simple. However, what was not simple was making those characters come alive, and the people on this carving seemed as if they might step off the boat at any moment. The texture of their clothing was clearly visible, with the woman’s skirt spread out on the floor, resembling an osmanthus flower. The clouds on the eight window panels were of the same size and perfectly symmetrical to each other. Below the “light boat past ten thousand mountains,” there lay a signature with “Qiao Sheng” inscribed on it. An epitome of exquisite beauty, a breathtaking work of art! “Boss, boss…” Gu Qiaoqiao, seeing that the middle-aged man seemed to be spellbound, felt assured and therefore quietly reminded him. The middle-aged man then came back to his senses. He did not attempt to conceal his reaction; in their line of work, integrity and transparency were paramount—even if they didn’t open shop for a year, when they did, it would sustain them for a decade. He didn’t know when a master of such caliber had appeared in the country. Could this be what they say about the “true masters dwelling among the folk”? The middle-aged man introduced himself to Gu Qiaoqiao, “I’m the second boss here, my name is Zhang Yi.” “Boss Zhang…” Gu Qiaoqiao amiably agreed. “May I ask what the young comrade’s name is?” Gu Qiaoqiao thought that today she was just testing the waters and did not have a perfect plan for the future yet. She pointed at the nucleus carving, “Qiao Sheng…” “Is that a family member’s name?” Zhang Yi’s probing gaze shifted to Gu Qiaoqiao. “It’s mine, I carved it. I want to exchange it for some money, would you be willing to buy it, Boss Zhang?” “You carved it?” Zhang Yi raised his voice involuntarily, which drew the attention of others around them. “Yes, I carved it.” Gu Qiaoqiao still answered obediently. Zhang Yi hesitated no longer, leading Gu Qiaoqiao into a side living room and instructing a young attendant to make tea. He looked at Gu Qiaoqiao, still seemingly disbelieving, “Miss Qiao, may I ask who your master is…” “My grandfather taught me.” Gu Qiaoqiao’s eyes dimmed, and she spoke softly, “But he has already passed away…” “Ah, my apologies, I didn’t mean to upset you…” Zhang Yi quickly apologized. In his mind, he wondered who Miss Xiao Qiao’s grandfather was? He almost knew all the masters in the country. It seemed there was none with the Qiao surname. “Boss Zhang, do you take this nucleus carving? If not, I need to take it to look elsewhere…” “Of course, we take it…” Boss Zhang saw that Gu Qiaoqiao looked like she would go elsewhere if his place was not an option. Although it wasn’t the work of a famous artist, the exquisitely superb nucleus carving would definitely sell well. “How much?” “A fixed price, six hundred yuan!” Zhang Yi was very straightforward too. Buying and collecting were different. Both involved getting it for a low price and selling it high. Gu Qiaoqiao thought to herself, this six hundred yuan was nearly the same as her father’s annual salary. Yet this was the first piece she had carved since she had been reborn, although it hadn’t cost her much effort. But it still held a meaning unknown to others. However, this was 1986. Six hundred yuan was already quite a sum. It was equivalent to the living expenses of a normal rural family for two years. Actually, Gu Qiaoqiao had not planned to haggle; she had agreed to it in her heart. But still, she picked up the nucleus carving, held it in her palm, and reluctantly scanned it with her gaze. However, this gesture, when seen by Zhang Yi, took on a different flavor. Even though it was not carved by a famous artist, the highest realm of carving was to create something so fine that it seemed divinely inspired. And this nucleus carving fitted that description perfectly. Therefore, this experienced old-timer from the Itinerant World who had taken a liking to the nucleus carving at first glance once again spoke up, “Miss Xiao Qiao, eight hundred yuan, that’s the limit I can offer.” Gu Qiaoqiao was taken aback, but without a change in her expression, she handed the nucleus carving to Zhang Yi, “Alright, it’s a deal!” Zhang Yi laughed heartily and said to Gu Qiaoqiao, “Miss Xiao Qiao does business straightforwardly. In the future, if you have any good items, come directly to me, or I can come to you instead.” He also wanted to have a chance to meet the real master carver of the nucleus carving. He actually didn’t believe that it was carved by Gu Qiaoqiao.

Chapter 41 - 40: A Master Among the Common Folk?

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